It Started With an Insult (Hermione x Pansy Parkinson)

Libraries are Not for Sleeping

"Draco- stop it!" I giggled as Draco tried to snog me in between the bookshelves in the library. Our fifth school year at Hogwarts had just started and Draco and I had been reunited after what felt like forever (but it was really only 3 months). 

"I haven't seen you in so long Pans, and this is the first time Blaise, Crabbe or Goyle aren't around. Or your posse of followers." He whined. 

"Pff," I snorted, "They're hardly my followers, Draco. They're my friends, you guys aren't my only friends you know. Theres only so much testosterone I can take." Draco finally loosened his grip on my waist. I gave him a quick peck on the lips just to keep him satisfied, and shimmied away from him. Still holding onto his wrist, I pulled him over to where our group had settled at a library table, to recap our summers after three long months spent apart. We sat down at the table, where Blaise was filling us in on his most recent step fathers death, and how he thought that the rumors in the daily prophet suspecting his famously beautiful mother had killed another one of her husbands were preposterous. He must have felt really strongly about the issue, because Zabini barely ever spoke. Blaise was just about as beautiful as his famous mother,   he was tall and dark skinned, with extremely high cheekbones and slanted, almond shaped eyes. I might've fancied him if he wasn't so quiet and distant. Although I considered him to be a friend, I wasn't sure that he considered anyone to be his. I had a sneaking suspicion that the only reason he hung around us was so that he wouldn't be alone.

Draco was now bragging about how he had received a letter over the summer declaring him a prefect. I had also been declared a prefect, but I chose to be more discreet about it; it was just like my mother taught me. "Modesty is the best policy." Draco told a joke, and even though I hadn't heard what he had said I laughed anyway, not wanting to bruise his ego. It was something about mud-bloods or blood traitors.

I surveyed the rest of my friends to see how much they'd changed over summer. Both Crabbe and Goyle had grown about and inch taller, and probably about an inch wider as well. They were both listening intently to Draco and nodding their heads vigorously in a agreement.

It was then that the two mud bloods and the one blood traitor stepped into the library, Potter animatedly talking to the other two while they listened in astonishment to whatever he was saying. I checked to see if Draco had noticed them yet, and right at that moment he looked up and sneered at Potter. Potter and Granger both glared back darkly, and Weaselbee just looked angry. They turned their backs to us and moved on to another part of the library. 

It was well past evening now and I was ready to turn in, but my pocket buzzed and I remembered that I had put my prefect badge inside of it. Pulling it and out peeking at it under the table, I pulled out my wand and tried with some difficulty to remember the spell I was told to use to turn it off. Once it was off, I looked over to Draco, who had done the same only much more obviously. This meant that the Slytherin prefects had a meeting. I sighed and put my bag over my shoulder, taking Draco's hand and heading down to the Slytherin common room to meet Snape and all the other new prefects. 

After the meeting was over and Draco had already gone into the boys dormitory, I found myself alone in the common room, staring out a window into the lake. At this time of night it should've been impossible to see into the water, but the window was enchanted and I could see all of the life in the lake. I hadn't been unlucky enough to see grindylow or a merperson, but once in my third year I could've sworn I saw a huge tentacle. None of my friends believed me but at least I knew it to be true. I sighed and reached into my shoulder bag to pull out an unfinished potions essay (even though I had had the entire summer to complete it), one that was due tomorrow. To my horror, I realized that I would need to reference a potions book that I hadn't bothered to buy. I squeezed my eyes shut to stop myself from screaming in frustration. I was terrible at potions, it was probably my greatest shame. A Slytherin, terrible at potions? Who'd had ever heard of such a thing. Other than Crabbe and Goyle I was probably the only Slytherin to have ever struggled with the subject, and Crabbe and Goyle struggled, well, with about everything. 

I rubbed my eyes in an attempt to ward off the tiredness and exhaustion I felt. If my potions grades slipped this year as they had last year I would for sure lose my title as a prefect. The tight ball of stress and dread in my stomach twisted. I sighed once again and willed myself to get out of the large emerald armchair I had settled in and headed to the library. 

"..Parkinson?" Someone shook my shoulders semi- aggressively. I stirred and opened my eyes slowly, only to meet the brown eyes of Hermione Granger. 

"AGH!" I yelped, slapping her arm away and jumping up, my hand reflexively going toward my pocket for my wand, only to find my pocket empty. I wildly looked around me, assessing my surroundings. The library. I was in the library. I had gone to the library to search for the potions book and had fallen asleep on top of it, using it as a pillow. The light coming in through the windows was soft and warm, but the moon was still in the sky, fading away as the sun rose. I groaned and slapped my forehead, chastising myself for being so careless. Then, remembering that Granger was still staring at me, I turned on her. 

"What do you think you're doing?" I demanded, my eyes narrowing. I searched frantically for my wand, only to see that it was about five feet away from me still casting the lumos spell. It must have rolled away while I slept. 

"What do you think you're doing?" Granger questioned, her face growing less curious and more annoyed by the second. I couldn't bear the thought that she had caught me in such a vulnerable state, with her judgy expression and her know it all stance and her general uppityness. I couldn't stand the girl. 

"Its none of your business, mud blood, for the love of Salazar please go and stick your nose in somebody else's life." I sneered. 

Granger frowned and muttered to herself. Did she say "I should have known?" I wasn't sure. 

"Fine. But you really shouldn't be up in the library at this hour, you know. Its not allowed. Its nearly 6:20 am." She retorted.

I glared at her. "Im the one who's a prefect here, mud blood, and if the rumors Ive been hearing are indeed true, your little boyfriend Weaselbee got the prefect badge and you didn't." I stepped closer to her. "I guess even blood traitors are better than mud bloods. Honestly, what did you expect, Granger. Its not about magical knowledge. Its about the blood." I smirked. "And you, Granger, no matter how many top marks you score, are just a filthy mud blood."

The girls face went bright red. "I-" she started, but I cut her off.

"And by the way, Granger, as I recall the school rules also apply to Gryffindors. I guess being Dumbledores favorite doesn't always pay off. 10 points from Gryffindor for being out of bed."

The mud bloods face heated up even more, and Ill have to admit, I was starting to enjoy myself. I raised an eyebrow.

"I- You cant do that! Its an abuse of power- I have special permission from Mcgonagall!" she protested.

"15 points and counting, Granger..."

Her mouth turned into a perfect O as she stalked past me and out of the library. I collected my wand and the book I had originally come for, and headed to my dorm to get an hour more of sleep.

Hello! Thank you so much for reading if you've gotten to this point :) Let me know if you want anymore chapters & if you have any ideas for stuff to happen in the future, since I'm not writing this by any specific outline and Im just kind of going with the flow :)

I don't own any of the fan art that I use in this fic, nor do I own the characters. All of the background information on the lesser known characters I try and find on harrypotterfandom.com & I do my best to make sure that its canon ! 

& also I want to say that even though I give JK Rowling credit for creating the original books & characters I do not support her or her beliefs in any way. Trans women are women.

Again thank you so much for reading, please remember to vote this story to help it get to more people, and I hope that you stick around for the next chapter !

- Bianca